Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the clash between the religious and the secular and how to move beyond it, as well as students of ethics, philosophy of religion and religious studies.
The divide in our societies between those who are religious and those who are not is becoming increasingly apparent in many areas of contemporary life. This fascinating book, based on conversations between religious and non-religious participants, asks if societies divided on such fundamental questions can nonetheless find some common ground.
A rich array of topics is explored, including the linguistic complexities of using the concept of God, the relation between science and religion, love, the ethics of altruistic concern, environmental ethics and the challenge of climate change, and the possibility of shedding light on important positions often taken to be intractable or non-negotiable. In addition, topics of a more reflective nature, but also prone to polarise are also examined, such as spiritual experience and practice, mindfulness, the arts and the nature of human consciousness.
Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the current tensions and even conflicts exhibited between religious and the secular positions on a range of key issues, and how it might be possible to move beyond them. It will also be of interest to students of ethics, philosophy of religion and religious studies, and all those who are concerned to explore how better dialogue across differences might be possible.
Notes on Contributors Preface Anthony Carroll and Richard Norman Part 1:
The God Debate
1. The Religion and Atheism Project: Some Initial
Reflections Brian Pearce
2. Beyond Transcendence Julian Baggini
3.
Transcendence Fiona Ellis
4. Transcendence, Immanence and Panentheism Michael
Brierley
5. God and Being: Resonance and Analogy Richard Norman
6. Personal
presence, analogy and resonance: a dialogue Robin Gill
7. Postscript: Without
Naming God Brian Pearce Part 2: Opportunities for Convergence
8. The Kindness
of Strangers: Empathy, Altruism, and the Case for Convergence John Saxbee
9.
Can Humanists be Spiritual? Jeremy Rodell
10. Understanding Spiritual
Experience: Two Approaches or One? David Scott
11. The Spiritual and the
Religious: Interlinked or Separable? John Cottingham
12. Moral Failure and
Spiritual Practice Michael McGhee
13. Persons and communities transformed by
practices George Guiver
14. Ritual for the Non-religious Elizabeth Slade
15.
Science, Humanism, and Religion Raymond Tallis
16. Make Up a Story Joanna
Kavenna
17. Physics, humanism and openness Andrew Steane Part 3: Religion and
Diversity
18. Religion, Non-religion and Values: What has changed and what
stays the same? Linda Woodhead and Andrew Copson
19. The Wonder of
Diversity: a Gift to Global Ethics Alan Race
20. Catholicism and Atheism
Peter Huff
21. Atheism and Esoterism: A Muslim Perspective Reza Shah-Kazemi
22. Faith, Sexuality and Gender: Navigating Difficult Conversations
Christopher Lynch
23. Gender, Islam and Dialogue: a Muslim feminist
perspective on navigating hard-to-have conversations Sariya
Cheruvallil-Contractor Part 4: Conclusion
24. Doing Difference Differently
Anthony Carroll and Richard Norman. Index
Anthony J. Carroll is a philosopher, theologian, and parish priest in Andalusia, Spain. His previous books include Protestant Modernity: Weber, Secularisation and Protestantism; Il Giardiniere Invisibile: Credere, Non Credere, Cercare; and most recently A History of Philosophy: The Condensed Copleston. He was co-editor with Richard Norman of Religion and Atheism: Beyond the Divide (Routledge, 2016).
Richard Norman is Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent and a Patron of Humanists UK. His books include On Humanism (Routledge, second edition, 2012), Understanding Humanism (with Andrew Copson and Luke Donnellan; Routledge, 2022), and What Is Humanism For? (2025).
